The Villagers All Envied the Uchiha and Wanted to Join Them!

The massive procession advanced toward the Hokage Building step by step.

The crowd of onlookers grew larger and larger. Even the vendors put away their stalls, afraid of obstructing their route.

When the villagers first saw the Police Force gathered together, they had felt uneasy and frightened. But now, their eyes sparkled with admiration. Some civilian shinobi even considered joining the Police Force, though they quickly dismissed the idea.

After all, since the Police Force had been established, no one outside the Uchiha clan had ever joined it.

Hyuga Hiashi rushed over from the clan grounds with Hinata in tow. Looking at the Uchiha clan's Police Force before him, countless complicated emotions welled up in his heart.

Both were Konoha's two great dojutsu clans, so why did the Uchiha possess such cohesion while his own clan was so oppressive? All he could see in his clansmen was numbness and hatred buried deep in their hearts. The main family and branch family were like sworn enemies, and that damned Caged Bird...

Amid the envy and shock of the onlookers, the Police Force formation continued forward until it reached the Hokage Building.

"Halt!"

At Senya's command, everyone immediately stopped and sheathed their ninja swords behind their backs.

"Straighten your appearance!"

Their left and right hands swept over the creases on their left and right shoulders in sequence, then moved downward to smooth the wrinkles in their clothes. Their movements were perfectly uniform, and the only sound was the crisp rustling of palms brushing across outer garments.

Senya walked up to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"What does Lord Hokage think of the Police Force's reforms?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was delighted, yet so envious his teeth ached. Why had he not thought of the Uchiha's method sooner? This time, the Uchiha had truly shone throughout the village. But wasn't their performance also a form of submission to him?

That was what Hiruzen Sarutobi believed now. He felt that the Uchiha had finally softened, and it was a tremendous blessing. Even his teacher, the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama, had failed to accomplish this, yet he had done so during his own administration. A sense of pride and superiority rose within him.

"Excellent. I am extremely satisfied with the Police Force's reforms. The Uchiha's performance was remarkably impressive."

Senya smiled faintly. As expected, old Hiruzen could not see through his plan at all. He could carry out the next step without concern.

"Lord Hokage, that is not all. The important news is yet to come."

"Is that so? Then hurry and present it."

Hiruzen was growing impatient. There was more to come? He had originally thought the Uchiha were going to cause trouble today, but it had turned out to be the exact opposite. The Uchiha had brought him quite a few pleasant surprises!

Senya turned to face the villagers.

"Starting tomorrow, the Uchiha Police Force will no longer consist solely of Uchiha members."

"Any chunin or shinobi above chunin rank who wishes to contribute to the village and maintain its security may apply to join!"

"As long as you pass the strength assessment, every position will be open to you—even my position as deputy commander!"

"I believe that once you join us, the villagers will be able to feel the changes in our Police Force!"

The villagers fell silent at first, then instantly erupted into an uproar! Not only the civilians, but even the eyes of those civilian shinobi nearly glowed with golden light! The village's other shinobi clans were even more ecstatic.

This was the Police Force! They could detain and arrest criminals, openly maintain an armed shinobi force, and even wage war. Yet the Uchiha were actually willing to relinquish their power!

Hiruzen was so excited that he snapped his smoking pipe in his right hand. After the Uchiha's move, their threat to both the village and himself had greatly diminished. Before long, they would surely become like the present-day Hyuga, tigers stripped of their claws and fangs. In the future, he might even be called Konoha's greatest Hokage!

"The Uchiha's Police Force reforms have now been fully presented. We hope to receive Lord Hokage's approval."

Fugaku stepped before Hiruzen. The final wrap-up still needed to be handled by him as clan head. After all, he was the clan head in name, and they had to keep secret that Senya was the true leader of the clan, lest that old dog Danzo start barking nonsense.

Although Fugaku had often shown weakness before Hiruzen in the past, Hiruzen was especially pleased with the Uchiha's performance today. Fugaku's respectful manner delighted him even more, making Fugaku seem much more pleasing to his eyes.

"Very good. I am extremely satisfied with the Police Force's reforms. I hope Commander Fugaku will continue to work hard in the future."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's old face was nearly blooming like a chrysanthemum. Brimming with joy, he walked into the Hokage Building, likely intending to take advantage of his good mood and continue admiring the scenery in his crystal ball.

The Police Force formation departed with Senya and Fugaku as well, leaving behind only the people still standing there, praising and envying the Uchiha Police Force to those around them. They wanted to join, and even more absurdly, some were already wondering how they could marry into or marry a member of the Uchiha clan...

From the shadows, Itachi Uchiha silently watched it all. Senya's plan had gone perfectly. In just one week, he had improved the relationship between the village and the clan considerably. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi was very satisfied.

However, it was time to report everything to Danzo. That old thief's hostility toward the Uchiha was far greater than Hiruzen's, and Itachi needed to probe Danzo's reaction.

His figure gradually vanished into an alley at the corner.

Inside the Root base, Itachi Uchiha wore Root's white cat-faced mask and knelt on one knee before Danzo, reporting everything that had happened from the village gates to the Hokage Building.

Danzo stood before Itachi Uchiha with both hands resting on his cane. Fresh white bandages covered his right eye, and his head was tilted slightly upward, giving him the air of someone looking down at others through his nostrils.

"Hmph. The Uchiha must be plotting something. That evil clan could not possibly become so obedient just because Shisui Uchiha died."

"Itachi, only you are different from the other Uchiha. You and Shisui are both shinobi who care for the village, inheritors of Kagami Uchiha."

"In the days ahead, investigate the Uchiha thoroughly. Report to me first! Hiruzen is old! The Uchiha's performance must have deceived him and blinded his eyes!"

"Yes!"

After receiving Danzo's orders, Itachi left as usual, but his thoughts had changed.

Now, he found Danzo's ugly face disgustingly revolting. Although the Uchiha did indeed have plans and goals behind the Police Force's reforms, they were entirely meant to ease the conflict between the village and the clan.

No matter what the Uchiha did, Danzo always had something to say about it, insisting that the Uchiha harbored sinister intentions and wanted to harm the village.

He even called himself Konoha's "Root," claiming he would protect Konoha from the shadows. How shameless. He was clearly just a parasite clinging to the village's trunk, constantly satisfying his own selfish desires!

After leaving Root and returning to the clan, Itachi told Fugaku and Senya about Danzo's orders. Senya told Itachi to leak all the surface-level intelligence to Danzo in the future, using it to confuse his judgment.

Perhaps they could even let Hiruzen and Danzo, those two old partners, relive the passion of their youth, when they had stood toe-to-toe against each other...